Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-04
TEXAS DROUGHT.
The Cotton Crop Greatly Retarded
and Cattle Men Suffering.

GALVESTON, TEX, April Especial
kilograms to the News, Houston Post and
Fort Worth Gazette during the past week
from nearly every county in Texas indl-
cate the prevalence of serious drought
throughout the State, affecting in large
measure Its agricultural as well as its
live stock interests. The drought may be
said to be continuation of last
rains have fallen throughout the
interior since last September,
while local showers have been few and
inadequate during the past six months.
Ipe drought now extends over the great
cotton belt, jeopardiziug the outlook for
the coming crop by retarding aud pre-
venting planting, which is usually in full
progress at this season, but can scarcely
be said to have commenced, excepti in the
coast counties, owing to the extreme dry
ness OF the earth. Along the coast cotton
is up, and reports from several points
speak of some damage by frost OF the past
lew nights. The six great districts
comprising the cotton belt OF the South
west, containing tweaty-three counties,
producing 200, 900 bales, Is suffering the
worst according to all reports, and plant
ing Is retarded nearly a month with no
present indications of rain. This Is the
early cotton district OF Texas. Winter
wheat in central and North Texas
is also suffering for want of rain,
showing poor growth. Similar
reports are received regarding
oats, while spring wheat is delayed. Corn
in the bottom lands along the BraZos,
Trinity and Colorado rivers promises -
fair average. AS an indication of the se-
rious and protracted character of the
drought, the following table, showing the
rainfall at Palestine. East Texas, is OBJ
tanned from the records of the United
States Signal Service Bureau. 1t shows
the rainfall from October to Decent Der in
elusive, and also from January to March
inclusive for the past three seasons:
OCTOBER JANUARY
To TO
YEARS. DECEMBER, MARCH.
4oo4-oo ............,.-. .lz'ot 1ZO
IeS5-s6 .....,........-.... 9.OS 1888
AooO-oi .......-......-.... 80 O53
These figures represent the situation in
East Texas, which Is q favored section.
Complaints from Austin, San Antonio
and Waco, in the central and southwest
cotton districts, are far more numerous
than from the Palestine district, and the
rainfall at these points since Jan. l aver
ages less than two incnes, while the mean
annual rainfall for the same period Of
each year has heretofore been II 40.
The great grazing areas of
West, South west and Northwest
Texas are suffering even worse than the
agricultural sections, as the drought is
nearly year old in many of these dis
tricts, the rain OF last September only
partially covering the district west along
the Texas Pacific railway, between
eatherfOrd ana Sierra Blanco, a dis
tance Of 800 miles. Cattlemen are SIM
ply abandoning their ranges, driving tneir
herds into the Indian Territory, the
found. Reports from the west and south
west cattle districts tell of many tbous-
and hides being brought in, showing
alarming mortality from starvation. Tho
weather to-day was summer-like. South
west winds continue to prevail, with no
sign Of rain.